LPWAN & Long Range

Amazon Sidewalk is a low-bandwidth, community-shared wireless network protocol developed by Amazon. By pooling a tiny fraction of internet bandwidth from compatible residential 'Sidewalk Bridges' (Echo speakers and Ring doorbells), it uses 900 MHz LoRa/FSK and 2.4 GHz BLE to connect outdoor smart lights, pet trackers, and package sensors beyond home Wi-Fi reach.

LoRa (Long Range) is a proprietary Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) physical radio modulation developed by Semtech, paired with the open LoRaWAN MAC protocol governed by the LoRa Alliance. Operating in unlicensed sub-GHz bands (868 MHz EU, 915 MHz US), it delivers transmission ranges from 5 to 15+ kilometers with 10+ year battery life.

LTE-M (enhanced Machine-Type Communication / eMTC, 3GPP Cat-M1 and Cat-M2) is a licensed cellular IoT standard operating within 1.4 MHz to 5 MHz channel bandwidths. Delivering data rates up to 1 to 4 Mbps, it supports full cell tower handover mobility and Voice over LTE (VoLTE), making it ideal for vehicle asset tracking and emergency panic systems.

Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT, standardized as 3GPP LTE Cat-NB1 in Rel-13 and Cat-NB2 in Rel-14) is a licensed cellular LPWAN standard. Utilizing a single 180 kHz PRB (Physical Resource Block), it delivers up to +20 dB coverage enhancement over standard LTE, enabling deep indoor penetration for underground water meters, smart grids, and smart cities.

Sigfox is a proprietary, global Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) protocol developed by Sigfox (now UnaBiz). Operating in unlicensed sub-GHz ISM bands (868 MHz EU / 902 MHz US), it utilizes Ultra-Narrowband (UNB) modulation with a microscopic 100 Hz channel bandwidth to transmit tiny 12-byte payloads over extreme distances with ultra-low power.